It’s been decided – Students and faculty will travel to Amsterdam and Brussels May 8-20 for the 2016 School of Communication International Media course.
Since 2008 faculty and students have traveled to England, France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Canada, the Czech Republic, and Spain and Portugal. The trips include media and cultural visits each year, and professors Helen Fallon and Bob O’Gara and retired professor Jan Getz are at work on this year’s itinerary. School of Communication undergraduate and graduate students and Honors Program students can take the class, listed as JOUR 390 or 590 DA, and trip; other students need permission from the course instructor as space is limited.
According to Fallon, School of Communication students answered a poll about the trip destination this year, and Amsterdam and Brussels topped the suggestions.
“We are always looking for destinations that expand students’ knowledge of foreign countries and have enough media outlets and communication agencies,” Fallon said. “Both these cities have that as well as a myriad of cultural options. We also met the president of the European Newspaper Association, based in Brussels, when we traveled to Lisbon this past year. He offered to help us with media contacts, and that is a major plus.”
Students on this past year’s trip appreciated the willingness of the Spanish and Portuguese media professionals to explain their operations and missions. Two highlights included a visit to Conde Nast and Ketchum Spain headquarters.
“All of the places we visited as a class were relevant to the communications field of study. It was a great opportunity to see all the different media outlets such as radio and TV broadcasting, newspaper, magazine, advertising and public relations, and so on,” Dana Bohince, senior multimedia major said. “From being on the set of a live talk show to touring Vogue’s model fitting room, I will never forget this one-of-a-kind opportunity.”
Efforts are also made to keep the trip affordable and costs as low as possible, Fallon said. The price covers airfare, all hotel accommodations, most meals and entry fees. The final price will be determined by group size and the U.S. dollar-euro exchange rate when the trip occurs. The estimated price right now is $3,175 for a group of 15, $2,990 for 20 travelers and $2,880 for a group of 25.
Students have been awarded more than $40,000 for the past trips through the Fallon Travel Fund, which Fallon and her children established when her husband died suddenly in 2008. Fundraising efforts have included annual Point Park-themed notecard sales and fundraisers, as well as personal donations.
Bohince received assistance from the fund to make her trip this year affordable. “With assistance from the Fallon Travel Fund and saving up on your own part, paying for your trip is definitely possible. This class is a great chance to travel in a fun, safe and educational environment,” she said.
Emily Kolek, graduate student and past course participant, has been working to establish various fundraising opportunities.
“The experience students receive while overseas is incredibly invaluable. I don’t want students to be deterred by the costs, which is why I have been working to further our fundraising efforts,” Kolek said.
This year’s notecards will be available for sale soon. And a fundraiser for the Fallon Travel Fund will be held Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 5-7 p.m. at Alex and Ani Pittsburgh, a jewelry store in Shadyside. A portion of the sales that night will benefit the fund.
For more information on the course of any Fallon Travel Fund events, stop by the School of Communication Office, 10the Floor Thayer Hall, or Fallon’s office, 405 Lawrence Hall. She can also be reached at [email protected] or 412-392-3982.
